Name: Southern Baked Steak Plantation-style
Ingredients: 2 pounds thick round steak; shortening or lard; salt and pepper; 2 cups flour; 2 tbsp baking powder; 1 tbsp salt; 2 egg yolks, beaten; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; dash of Tabasco; 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Why it works: Flour and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together106,462 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour + saucetop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together8,078 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Pepper + flourtop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together50,459 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Pepper + saucetop 27% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together15,303 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Pepper + eggtop 33% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together50,580 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Round steak: Forms the meat base that becomes tender during long, moist baking.
Flour: Forms the batter structure that sets over the steak as it bakes.
Baking powder: Releases gas that makes the batter rise and lighten as it bakes.
Egg whites: Beaten whites trap air, adding lift and a lighter texture.
Egg yolks: Add richness and help bind the batter.
Shortening: Fat that browns the steak and flavours the pan drippings.

The step that matters

Folding in the beaten egg whites. Beaten egg whites hold air that gives the batter lift. Folding gently keeps that air in; stirring vigorously deflates the foam and produces a denser, flatter crust.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Beef	100g cooked	250
Lard	1 tbsp (12.8g)	115
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp (15ml)	9
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

Southern Baked Steak Plantation-style